Sammy takes on Alden for Red Bay seat

(Press release): Samuel “Sammy” Jackson has announced that he will be a candidate in the (now expedited) upcoming General Election on 14 April 2021. Jackson is a candidate in the constituency of Red Bay and will presumably be running against the current premier, Alden McLaughlinAlden McLaughlin (PPM): Red Bay MP, Premier, Minister of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs (MITIAMA). Biography: McLaughlin has been a member of the... More.

“I have come to realise that unless this country is able to obtain credible and competent representation, our future will not be owned or even enjoyed by our children and grandchildren. This is what has provoked me to humbly offer my services to this country, because my conscience dictates that I do so, otherwise I would feel that I have let down the younger generations of Caymanians who will come behind me, who will not be able to obtain a proper education, or even when they obtain an education, they will not be able to find a job, let alone a career, in their own country, if we do not try our best to fix all that ails this country now.“

Jackson is family orientated man, but also an experienced attorney-at-law, with twenty-seven years of law practice in the Cayman Islands, and has experience in working in the civil service, the Judicial Department and over two decades of private practice.

He has spent many years offering his assistance to legislative initiatives and has been appointed to and served on the board of a number of statutory authorities, including the Immigration Appeals Tribunal, the Health Services Authority, the Planning Appeals Tribunal, the Electricity Regulation Authority and the ICT Authority, which he chaired for some two years. These appointments have allowed Jackson to gain valuable experience and insight into government’s operations and challenges, which he intends to harness to bring about positive changes for the people of the Cayman Islands.

Why Red Bay?

Jackson decided to run in the district of Red Bay after a number of the area’s constituents made representations to him that they would appreciate his representation since they were dissatisfied with their representative, mainly because the needs of the Red Bay community have largely been neglected.

Issues and challenges which Jackson has identified as needing to be addressed post-haste relevant to the Red Bay Community include:

• Traffic issues
• Crime
• Lack of parks/green spaces and public amenities
• Improvements to quality of life and social and economic welfare
• Improvement of living and working environments
• Indifference to public views in respect of development and social projects

Transparent and Accountable Representation

Jackson states, “I have noticed with concern lately that there are far more complaints regarding the lack transparency, accountability and, generally, the rule of law, many of which seem to be punctuated by an attitude of indifference on the part of government to the ordinary rights of members of the public and there now seems to be an almost complete disregard for even the views and wishes of the very people who appointed them.

“I will, if granted the opportunity, take my sworn constitutional duty as my immutable instructions from the people who elect me, to always act in their best interests, as well as the interest of these islands and its many varied people. I am NOT for sale. I do not have any hidden agendas or corporate sponsorship and I will not act for special interest groups against the interest of this country. I believe that decisions regarding important matters should be made rationally, based on merit, not political expediency.”

Education and Quality of Life

Jackson believes that the previous administrations have left the people of the country behind and that there is significant need to address the failings of government in the field of education and professional opportunities for Caymanians. “I believe that no Caymanian who is capable and willing to work should ever be reduced to beggarly status, relying on handouts to feed themselves and their children, while there are thousands of people here on work permits earning much more and enjoying a higher standard of living than the average Caymanian. That is not charity, that is victimization.”

“I believe that the people of this country deserve access to all of the opportunities that this country offers. I do not believe that there is a single job existing in this country that a Caymanian cannot be trained to perform. I refuse to believe otherwise, even though I recognise that if we do not take serious remedial action to address the failings of government on education, that will only serve to further prejudice opportunities for Caymanians in the future.

“In order to achieve this we need to focus on identifying why the funds we are spending on education are not resulting in better returns for our youth, and do whatever we need to do in order to change this. We need to focus on providing tradesman opportunities, and importantly, we need to stop legislating away the rights of Caymanians to find job opportunities in the financial services industries of this country. There must be a future for our youth, otherwise what are we doing any of this for? GDP means near to nothing if our own future is left behind.”

Sustainable Development

Jackson has become well known over the years in his role as attorney-at-law, specializing in development and planning law, but he firmly believes that rather than simply allowing more development, what the country needs to focus on is “sustainable development”.

Jackson states, “I believe in sustainable development and protecting the environment, and by ‘sustainable development’ I mean development which is not only proportionate in terms of scale and massing, such that it can be sustained by the country’s infrastructure, but also development which actually benefits the economic welfare of the people of this country, without causing irreversible damage to the environment. Development deals between the government and private sector should be done transparently and with the best interest of the people of the Cayman Islands at heart, not secretly behind Cabinet doors.”

Jackson believes the country can make headway with advancing further sustainable enterprises including undertaking legislative initiatives to encourage sustainable farming practices and focus on green transportation and development opportunities.

Respect for Women’s Rights

Another issue important to Jackson is ensuring that women are respected and represented by their representatives. “Recent events have illuminated the absolute need for public education and social campaigning of women’s rights. In 2021 women need to feel secure in their personal and professional capacities. I want to unequivocally state that violence or bias against women is absolutely unacceptable and our country cannot and should not ever tolerate any such behaviour.”

Jackson also believes that there is room for growth with respect to protecting women’s rights and putting in place practical measures to ease the burden on working mothers to balance their careers and family life, such as reviewing whether maternity leave provisions should be extended and to encourage businesses to stagger working hours.

Respect of the Voice of the People

“One of the most disappointing aspects of the past administrations has been their lack of respect for the voice of the people of this country. I understand that if I am elected, it is my duty to represent the people and I strongly believe that in matters of national importance, such as the development of cruise berthing facilities, the voice of the people needs to be of paramount importance. A government should not be fighting its own people and acting against the wishes of the majority of the population.

“If a situation arises, such as the cruise port petition, I will see it as my duty to allow the people of this country to have their say instead of fighting with all my might to prevent a petition vote from taking place. It is absurd that a government spends the peoples’ money to fight against them and to fund media campaigns against their interests, this has to end.”

Leadership with Integrity

Jackson’s campaign will focus on providing the people of Red Bay and the Cayman Islands with truly transparent and accountable leadership. He will be going door-to-door to meet his constituents and hear their views, suggestions and concerns.

“I believe that there is no excuse, save for genuine cases of national security, for government to hide the truth from the public. My approach will be to do everything I can to build a legacy of truth and integrity. That is my pledge to you. I do not believe in telling people what they want to hear, but instead telling them what they need to hear: the truth. No excuses, no hidden agendas, no price tags.”

Jackson believes that the Cayman Islands need “a lot more meritocracy and a lot less cronyism. If elected, I will do my utmost to always act in the best interests of the people of this country: Firstly, my constituents, and, just as importantly, all my fellow Caymanians. I look forward to meeting my constituents and more of my fellow Caymanians and hearing your views and opinions.It is time for the people to take their power back.”

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